Morituri
by Revanant Dragoon
Summary: Honorable Mention in Krakensghost's third contest. "You're in the middle of a war. A war between the gods themselves. A battle royale amidst the Heavens."
1. Manifold

Disclaimer: If you really think any of this is mine, then I've got some great property to sell you.

_**"Morituri"**__**  
**_  
'Ave, imperator! Morituri te salutant.'  
_'Hail, emperor! Those who are about to die, salute you!'_  
**- Gladiators addressing Emperor Claudius**

-Chapter 1 – Manifold-

*

"So. It begins again."

"Yes. Took long enough. I honestly expected it much sooner. Especially after ..._he _was summoned again."

"It was unavoidable. We had to ensure that there would be no …_problems_."

"**It** _is_ secure, right?"

"Of course. It has been for over fifteen years now. If it hasn't gotten loose yet, then we've nothing to worry about."

"Well, then. Let's get cracking, eh?"

* * *

It was the common view of the Elemental Countries that Konoha was perfectly placed, agriculturally speaking. The temperature never got too hot, never dropped too low. Rain was plenty, but not enough to flood. It was, all things considered, perfect.

However, that didn't mean that Konoha didn't suffer from its share of freak-storms.

The snow fell lightly on the Godaime Hokage's windowsill. She stared at it for a moment, letting her mind drift. While she was never too terribly fond of the snow, she didn't outright hate it as most ninja did – whether due to snow-blindness or just because of the cold. Tsunade had long ago learned the trick to avoiding snow-blindness, and being bothered by a little cold was laughable to any S-class nin worth their salt.

She turned her mind, and eyes, back to the cause of her recent concerns. The post-mission report stared back at her mockingly. The busty sage sighed, and looked up at Tenzo, standing ram-rod straight before her desk.

She wanted to rail at the man, demand an explanation as to how the _hell_ things could have gone so far south so fast. But she knew that it would do her no good. He wasn't to blame for what had happened.

That blame fell equally on the shoulders of Danzou and Uchiha Sasuke. And as the Uchiha was now dead, according to the mission report at least, that only left Danzou. And she would dealwith him in time.

Oh yes, she would _deal_ with him.

So rather than shout her frustrations at the other ninja, she simply nodded and growled a "dismissed."

With the near-whisper of a Shunshin, she was alone with her thoughts. A moment later, she pressed the intercom.

"Can you send Shizune in here for a moment, please?"

* * *

Hyuuga Neji was not one prone to panic. There was nothing to gain from it, and often gave an opponent a lethal opportunity.

But he had to admit, at that moment he understood the appeal. It had been a half-hour since the Hokage's assistant, Shizune, had approached him, explaining how Uzumaki Naruto had been on a mission that had gone bad, resulting in the death of Uchiha Sasuke. And no one had seen him since he had gotten back.

Neji didn't need for her to explain why that would be worrisome. He knew that Naruto's determination to bring back the Uchiha had not faded since that failed mission from three years ago. If anything, it had strengthened in the intervening time.

And now Neji had swept the entirety of Konoha at least twice, and had found nothing. All of his things were still in his apartment, so he hadn't left. But it was like he had disappeared.

He paused as he passed Team Seven's traditional training ground. Sitting on the bridge, swinging her feet aimlessly, was Sakura. Neji didn't need the Byakugan to see how distressed she was. Her head was bowed, and her shoulders were shaking. And judging by how much snow was coating the young woman, she'd been there for quite a while.

He knew he should comfort her; or at least get her in out of the cold. But that wasn't his place. His hands balled up into fists, he turned back to Konoha proper and started running.

"Damnit, Naruto. Where are you?"

* * *

The wind buffeted Naruto, as he sat perched on the top of the Hokage monument. The boy's brows were knitted together, and his eyes stared out at the snow-coated village, wide and unseeing.

Cold from the steel in his hands bit deep, freezing them to the bone. His thumb ran up and down the side of the kunai, ignoring the chill. Even now, all he could feel was the warm liquid running down it as...

"Now, while I'm not surprised you're up here, I do have to say that I'm rather curious as to how you managed to evade the Hyuuga boy's Byakugan." A rich contralto voice broke into his thoughts. Naruto turned to find Tsunade standing behind him, a thick overcoat and scarf thrown over her normal clothes.

"It's easy." He replied with a shrug. "Neji's looking for a person-sized blob of chakra; not a thin blob covering most of a mountain-top." Tsunade frowned in thought momentarily, before stepping closer and running right into the aforementioned blanket of chakra Naruto had spread. She whistled softly.

"Always full of surprises, aren't you?" Naruto simply shrugged again. "Though the real question is, how did you know I'd send Neji to find you?"

"I didn't." There was a pause. "I just wanted to get away from everyone for a while, and wanted to make sure that I'd get that." The Hokage nodded quietly. Silence reigned, while the snowfall covered Fire Country

"…It's beautiful, isn't it?" Tsunade asked, gazing across the muted glow of Konoha. Naruto looked up, and really looked at the landscape for the first time since he had come up. It really was beautiful.

"Yeah…" He said quietly.

There was a crunch of gravel and snow as the Godaime Hokage sat down next to him. She opened her mouth to say something... _anything_, that could help the boy that had done so much for _her_. But nothing came.

Anything she could have said would just be hollow, devoid of meaning - as well as feeling. She just... couldn't empathize with him in this. Yes, she knew that having to kill someone you considered a friend was always hard - it tended to happen in their line of work, after all. And a part of her mourned Naruto's loss of innocence.

But she could not find it within herself to feel sorry over the Uchiha's death. The brat had been a traitor to Konoha. Worse yet - in Tsunade's eyes at least - the last Uchiha had tried to _kill_ Naruto. For that, she would cheerfully toast his current residence in Hell.

So she just sat, looking over her village.

Finally, Naruto stirred next to her.

"Oi, Granny..." Tsunade's eye twitched, but she ignored the slight. "Did I do the right thing?" She looked over at him, his breath coming in puffs and eyes glassy.

"...Yeah. Yeah, you did."

_"Naruto? What did you __**do**__?!"_"...but Sakura-"

"-was too emotionally invested. I shouldn't have sent her. That was _my_ mistake." Though she couldn't help but wonder if Sakura wasn't the only one too emotionally invested. Naruto fidgeted, agitation boiling over.

"But I-" Only Tsunade wasn't having any of it.

"-defended your team-mates and yourself. You did _nothing_ wrong." Naruto shook his head mulishly. Tsunade sighed mentally. _'Damnit, Naruto. How am I supposed to help you when you won't __**let**__ me?'_

"Naruto..."

"I _killed_ my _best friend_." Naruto spoke over her, his voice quiet and intense. Despite her constant irritation over the blonde's normally blaringly loud voice, she wished that he was still yelling, rather than speaking in this low tone. "And I didn't feel a _**damn thing**_! He was my _friend_, I _killed him_, and I didn't feel a _damn thing_!"

Silence followed that pronouncement.

"Would you prefer feeling satisfaction?" Tsunade asked quietly. Naruto jerked as if struck. He whirled on her, face full of incomprehension.

"What?" Tsunade didn't respond to his question. She just stared out at the snow-blanketed city. "What do you mean, 'satisfaction?'" The two of them sat there like that, as still as statues. Then, finally-

"You were facing a traitor who had turned against you personally and was more than willing to kill you, and your team." Tsunade finally spoke up.

"_I spared it, on a whim. Now, I'll take it – on a whim. And that goes for all of you."_

"It'd be understandable if you did feel satisfied. Or even vindication. Hell, I sure as hell would feel vindicated _and _satisfied if I finally put down Orochimaru." Tsunade glanced over at him from the corner of her eye. The boy was staring off at a point just over her shoulder. But she knew he wasn't seeing anything at all. "But you didn't. Now what's that say about you?"

Naruto slowly brought his gaze to Tsunade's, and he smiled weakly.

"I don't know." He responded quietly. Tsunade resisted the urge to sigh, finally accepting that she couldn't do any more. Not yet, at least. She knew, from personal experience, that Naruto had to come to grips with this on his own.

She reached out, and pulled him into a one-armed hug.

But just because he had to come to terms with that what he'd done on his own, didn't mean he had to be alone.

* * *

"All preparations are complete."

"Good. Let the Game begin anew."

* * *

The blonde demon vessel let himself relax as Tsunade hugged him to her. He felt… safe. Wanted.

…was this what family really felt like?

A chill ran down Naruto's spine. One that had nothing to do with the cold wind howling around them, and everything to do with the raging beast within.

Something was very very _wrong_.

"Baa-chan!" He whirled, to shout some warning -

-And the world fell apart around him.

* * *

Darkness.

It was all he knew.

His name, his life; they were all unimportant details.

Trivial.

Pointless howling of ants before a giant beast as it tread upon them.

All that mattered was the void.

The void that screamed and raged in absolute silence.

The void was everywhere.

Nowhere.

He was filled with it, surrounded by it...

Utterly isolated from it.

A furious snarl of malice and fury ripped through the silent rage, rending and tearing, making the void flash a deep **red**...

...and memory followed in its wake.

Uzumaki Naruto.

Shinobi.

Jinchuuriki.

Sacrifice.

**MINE.  
**  
The void lifted and Naruto awoke.

* * *

Consciousness returned to the blonde with a yell and a cloud of chalk-dust. Naruto jerked back, and found himself horribly unbalanced. His arms pinwheeled as he tried to ward off Gravity's inexorable grip. He could almost feel himself settling...

He never stood a chance.

Naruto fell to the floor with a crash. He lay there, motionless, staring upward.

_'When the hell did they replace the sun with a lightbulb?'_ He mused drunkenly. Naruto couldn't help but think that there was something terribly wrong with that statement, but his brain didn't seem to want to work at the moment. He tried again to focus on _why_ the thought should worry him, but it was like trying to find his way through fog.

Slowly, he began to realize that someone was calling his name.

"-uto! Naruto!" The blonde frowned mentally. That voice was _awfully_ damn familiar. "Are you alright?"

Pink filled his vision, and Naruto felt the fog in his skull begin to lessen.

"Yeah, I'm fine Sakura." The response was automatic, as if he'd said it a thousand times before.

Then he remembered that he _had_. Memories of everything else came rushing back, and Naruto jerked off the floor, easily springing to his feet. Something was up – Sakura was willingly talking to him, he was no longer on the Hokage Monument…

The blonde demon-vessel took stock of his surroundings, and froze.

"Now that you're awake, Mr. Uzumaki, could you grace us all with the answer?" A youngish-looking woman asked him, standing behind an oak desk. She was dressed in civilian clothes, hair up in a bun, with flimsy glasses perched on her nose. She looked just like a teacher.

Which probably had something to do with the fact that he was in a classroom.

Well, technically it looked like some sort of laboratory, but all the beakers and fun stuff were capped and put to the side. There were two rows of tables in the room, with students seated at each one. Each table had its own clump of vials, and notepads were in front of each kid.

'_What the hell…?'_

"Mister Uzumaki!" The woman barked, making the already spooked Jinchuuriki jump a foot in the air. "The question?" Impatience was written all over her face, and her hand was helpfully tapping the blackboard behind her.

Naruto looked over at what had been written, and, still groggy from… whatever the hell had just happened to him, reacted instinctively.

He screamed like a little girl.

"Gah! Math!" He threw up his hands as if to shield himself from the wretched instruments of mental torture.

He was only vaguely aware of laughing all around him, and had a very disturbing feeling of déjà-vu. It was like he was back in the Academy again. He used the temporary shelter of his hands to glance around the room.

There were quite a few people there that he recognized – Sakura, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji. But there were even more people he didn't recognize at all. What the hell was going on? There was no way this was a dream, so could it be a genjutsu?

The teacher's irritated voice drew him from his musings. "Alright, Mr. Uzumaki. Have a seat." Naruto complied instantly, eager to leave the spotlight so he could figure out just what the hell was going on. However, considering how everyone (the teacher included) kept staring at him, he could only assume that he had done the wrong thing. Naruto was grateful when the teacher had re-gathered her wits, and drew everyone's attention back to the board.

Once everyone's attention was off him, Naruto tried to figure out what the hell was going on. He was willing to bet it was some kind of genjutsu. What the hell it was for, he had no clue. But it was the only thing that seemed to fit.

Using the desk as cover, Naruto's hands twisted together into a seal as Jiraiya's lessons came back to him. _"Genjutsu acts like a net, anchoring to your tenketsu and making you see, feel, hear, taste, and touch what your opponent wants you to." _All he had to do was gat–

His thought-process cut off when something registered in his mind. His hands felt… _wrong_. The blonde's brows knitted as he tried to work out what it was. He unclasped them, and looked as unobtrusively as he could.

His hands didn't have any calluses. Well, there were one or two, but none that looked remotely like the ones that should be there. The calluses from nearly a lifetime of handling shinobi tools were gone, and the ones that were there now looked more like what he'd seen on scholars' hands.

A chill ran down Naruto's spine. According to Jiraiya, genjutsu subtle and thorough enough to make changes like that were extremely powerful; more importantly, it was a close to a lost art, to the Toad Sage's knowledge. And a quick glance around the room confirmed his suspicion that _everyone_ he knew had similar changes. Well, beyond the fact that everyone was dressed up in some funky type of uniform.

Making a genjutsu this detailed and complex, he had to assume, would take a lot of power and skill. Which meant that his own meager abilities at genjutsu counters would be useless. Damnit.

But he wasn't completely helpless, thankfully. Naruto briefly thanked Jiraiya for having the foresight to pull him aside after hearing about the demon-vessel's latest encounter with Itachi. The sannin had been researching into genjutsu counters, knowing Naruto's poor aptitude for them – as well as Itachi's preference for them.

Luckily, the older shinobi had found something.

"_Now, you already know about stopping your chakra, in order to loosen the genjutsu's hold on your tenketsu." The old man started. Naruto, recognizing the other man's 'Lecture-Face,' focused on committing the man's every word to memory. "But it turns out there's another way to un-anchor the genjutsu. One perfect for your stamina and level of control." _

_This relies on …pulsing your chakra outward. You basically warp the genjutsu to the point where it breaks from the stress." Naruto frowned. "Think of it this way: the genjutsu acts like a net, snaring you in its illusion. You can get out of it by either removing what's letting it hold onto you, or by stretching it until it breaks." Naruto waved his hand dismissively._

"_Nah, I got that. I was just wondering why nobody's done something like this before." Jiraiya gave a one-shouldered shrug, before smiling._

"_Normally, trying something like that would exhaust a ninja so fully that he couldn't even move; it would be suicide." The old man's grin grew wider. "But since when have you done things _**normally**_?"_

Naruto rolled his eyes at the memory. Ero-sennin seemed to really enjoy teaching a ninja that understood the importance of flashy grandstanding as much as himself. Then his hands reformed the seal, and the blond dug _deep_ into his chakra reserves.

Blue eyes closed. Focus turned inward.

The world disappeared. The only thing that existed in Naruto's mind was the chakra gathering in his coils and tenketsu. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he was done.

Molding his chakra just like the old man had taught him, Naruto pulled the chakra into a ball inside him, before …releasing it. There was a roar in his ears, and he suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion hit him. He swayed slightly in his seat while his limbs felt like they were made of lead.

What the hell? Using his own version of a genjutsu dispel never wiped him out before. Naruto's eyes snapped open, and the sight of the teacher writing on the blackboard greeted him.

'_It didn't work?'_ Naruto gaped silently. _'But…'_ So great was his shock, that Naruto didn't immediately notice the grumbling next to him. When he finally did, the blonde looked over to see Sakura trying to re-arrange her suddenly scattered notes, muttering about 'assholes opening windows.' A quick glance showed that she was not the only one with mussed papers. Hell, some of the chemistry materials on his desk were pushed together – though that wasn't the case for any of the other tables.

He felt like that was important, but he had no idea what it meant. There was something… significant about that, but he couldn't think of _what_. Something cracked in front of him. Naruto snapped his eyes around in just enough time to see several vials break open, and fall onto some of the materials the chakra pulse had shoved underneath.

Naruto had actually learned a few things when they taught chemistry in the Academy. Unsurprisingly, it was in the part where they learned what to mix to get the biggest boom. He had taken to it like a fish to water.

He couldn't tell you _why_ mixing certain chemicals together got the reaction it did, but he could tell you what you wanted to mix with what to get the biggest bang for your buck. Literally.

From what he could tell, the chemicals spilling together would get along …explosively.

The detonation that hurled him off his chair a second later confirmed his suspicions. Then his head cracked against the floor, and everything went black.

Again.

* * *

A fast, steady beep stirred Naruto to consciousness. His eyes opened to the blinding white of a hospital.

What the hell? How had he wound up here? The last thing he remembered was the chemistry lab that he somehow found himself in, and performing the genjutsu counter. Beyond that, nothing.

Wait, no. He'd performed it, but there hadn't been any effect. Well, beyond mussing up some papers and … causing an explosion.

Damn, if this was an illusion, it was a _damn_ good one.

He sat up in the bed, and a dull pain in the back of his head introduced itself to his awareness, along with its good friend dizziness. The blond winced and rubbed his head. Once the dizziness passed, he glanced around the room, and let out a long sigh of relief. He had been in and out of enough hospitals over the past several years to recognize Tsunade's personal touch.

He was back home. Tsunade probably managed to disrupt the genjutsu on him. Whatever the hell he was in was over. A knot of tension that he hadn't even noticed undid itself in his gut. Naruto exhaled deeply, laying back in the bed.

He sat back up a second later as he heard a piercing wail from outside the window. The blond lurched out of the bed, forcing himself to move through his dizziness. He stumbled to the window, and stared out in horrified wonder.

The familiar landscape of Konoha was long gone.

In its place stood a village filled with buildings that were both ridiculously tall and absurdly unornamented. There were no footholds for weary ANBU patrols, no 'fast-lanes' for ninja – hell, there were no ninja, _period!_ The only people he saw were walking down the edges of strangely wide paved streets.

He wondered for a moment why they weren't walking down the center of the street – there was plenty of room. His question was answered moments later as he spotted the strangest contraption he'd ever seen barrel down the middle of the street.

Naruto stepped away from the window slowly. _'Something tells me I'm not in Konoha anymore.'_ Then he stopped. If he wasn't in Konoha, then that meant this wasn't Tsunade's room after all. Or it might be, but it wouldn't be the Tsunade _he_ knew. It would be a fake – like Sakura and the others.

The possibility of this being a genjutsu was swiftly fading from Naruto's mind. This was just _too_ detailed, too _complex_ to be one…

He heard the wail that had first alerted him again, and saw one of those _things_ racing down the street towards the hospital (or, at least he assumed it was a hospital), with flashing lights on top.

…not to mention that there was no one crazy enough to dream up all of this stuff.

He froze as he heard footsteps approaching his room. Time to get the hell out. The blonde paused for long enough to make sure that the gait _wasn't_ Tsunade's, before racing over to the window, pulling it open, and slipping out.

He snagged the wall with chakra and crawled down the side of the wall, before dropping down to the alley and running away.

Seconds later the door to the room opened, and Senju Tsunade entered the hospital room, nose buried in the file titled 'Uzumaki Naruto.' She looked up and saw the empty bed.

The file slapped against the tile floor, having fallen from numb fingers.

* * *

The man walked across the faded linoleum of the hospital lobby. His polished black shoes clicked across the scuffed tile. His gaze swept across the lobby, taking it all in like a king viewing his subjects.

He walked around the various people milling about the front desk like a river flowing past rocks in its stream.

A large, bald, tattooed man took a step back, and collided with him. The tattooed man stiffened, and whirled, face red and furious. His eyes tracked across the lobby, eyes sliding right over the other man. The other man simply kept walking, slipping past the front desk and into the hospital proper.

He walked silently through the halls, unnoticed by everyone around him. The man didn't bother to look around him. He knew what he wanted, and where it was. Nothing else was important.

He finally reached his destination, and stopped short. A busty blonde doctor was standing in the doorway, staring blankly into the room. Not exactly a good sign.

"Excuse me, is there a problem?" The woman yelped and wheeled, before relaxing slightly.

"I'd say so, yes. The patient is –" The woman paused, scrutinizing him. Inwardly, he marveled. How on earth had she…? He discarded the matter for the time, focusing instead on his immediate goal.

"Excuse me…" She started, but he cut her off.

"The patient is _what_?" He asked, stressing his question.

"Missing." The blonde responded immediately, before blinking and frowning deeply. "Just who the hell are you?" The man turned around and started walking away. His objective was no longer there. Therefore he had no reason to be here.

"Hey!" The woman shouted from behind him. "Who the _hell_ are you, and how did you get in here?"

"The name's Tohno Shiki. As for how I got in, how else? Through the front door.." He flashed a smirk, opened a door to one of the empty rooms, and stepped inside. The door closed behind him before what the hell had just happened fully registered in her mind.

"HEY!" She ran over, and yanked the door open. "Just what the hell…" She trailed off as she stared into the empty room. "Damnit, not again!"

* * *

A sewer cover was pushed up, and Tohno Shiki pulled himself up onto the street. He put back the metal cover, and looked back at the hospital several streets behind him. His lips twisted in a wry grin as he thought about the name he'd given the woman.

Well, he was wearing the mortal's face already. He might as well use the name as well.

The grin turned into a frown as 'Shiki' remembered the blonde woman. Most curious. He'd have to keep an eye on that one. Then he looked out at the street.

"Now, just where are you?"

* * *

"Where the hell am I?" Naruto muttered to himself, as he finally came to rest in an alleyway. He crouched behind a dumpster, both trying to hide from view and painfully aware of the fact that he was running around in nothing more than a hospital gown.

He shifted again, holding the lower back closed with one hand. Damn, but he hated these things. He was half-convinced that some perv had made 'em for his own twisted enjoyment. Seriously, there was _no_ need for his ass to feel a breeze!

"Where the hell can I find some pants?" Then he shifted slightly, as another one of those wailing… _things_ went past. "Better yet, what the fuck's going on?" He paused, and looked back down at the gown, weighed finding some sort of actual clothing over just trying to find answers.

'_Okay, goal number one: find pants. Goal number two: find answers.'_ Satisfied with his plan, the blonde's hands clasped together for a henge. He'd just slip inside some store, swipe some clothes, and he'd be golden. He started gathering chakra – only to freeze.

His chakra was …_wrong_. He couldn't quite explain how. It just… responded too fast. It had only taken a moment for him to gather what felt like all of his chakra; which incidentally was nowhere near enough to perform a henge. What the hell?

It was like he _didn't have_ any reserves. He reached again, trying to draw all that he could… only to find he couldn't. Which didn't make any sense.

He could still recall perfectly fighting Gaara, and reaching what felt like his limits, only to be able to draw _more_. To not be able to draw enough for a _henge_… Something was seriously wrong.

He pushed that worry out of his mind for the moment. Okay, so henge-ing himself some clothes was out of the question. So there went that plan. He cast his eyes around, trying to figure out where and how he could swipe some pants while in a hospital gown. Seconds later, his eyes fell on the bum curled up in a corner.

He immediately considered and discarded the thought. Then, as he was turning his eyes away from the man, he noticed that the guy was wearing multiple pairs of pants. Hell, he was wearing multiple pairs of everything.

While Naruto wasn't about to steal a bum's only pair of pants; if he had more… well, that was an entirely different story. Once again clenching the back of his gown with one hand, the shinobi snuck closer to the other man.

"Oi!" Naruto hailed. The man, who was turned towards the wall, ignored him. "Hey!" Naruto tried again. The man just kept doing whatever the hell he was doing. By this point, Naruto was practically right behind the man. Out of curiosity, he looked at what the homeless man was doing.

"…cake?" Naruto asked, puzzled. The man had written it all over the brick wall, along with crude drawings of it and some sort of box-like…thing. The man had heard him that last time, though, as he whirled around, his unkempt face bright and hopeful.

"Cake?" The blond bit back a groan. He was dealing with a crazy man. There went making some sort of deal with the guy. "Cake?" The man prompted again, this time pointing at the drawings as well.

"Yeah…cake." Naruto managed to get out. "It's delicious." The man's face lit up even more, and he held out his hands. _'Sorry about this.'_ Naruto pointed behind the man. "Yeah, it's right over there." The man whirled, only to collapse unconscious, as Naruto's fist struck the back of his head.

When the man woke up later, he found himself short an overcoat and a pair of pants and utterly without cake.

"The cake… is a lie?"

* * *

Well, that proved it.

Naruto had managed to start off 'completely and utterly lost,' and wind up even _more_ lost. He wasn't quite sure how he pulled it off, but he did. He cast his gaze around again, trying to find something that looked remotely familiar or useful.

"You're very difficult to find, you know?" A voice came from behind him. Naruto kept looking around, figuring that whoever it was wasn't talking to him. "Ignoring me, Naruto?"

The blond froze. Okay, so apparently they were talking to him. Damn. He turned around, and tried to act surprised.

"Oh, hey!" Naruto found himself addressing a boy approximately his age, wearing glasses and what looked like the uniform all the kids in the classroom had been wearing. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What's up?" The other boy just stared at him.

"What's up? Let's try you getting a kiss from a fireball." Naruto shrugged easily, while internally wracking his brains for the kid's name. He couldn't shake the feeling that he actually did know the kid, but he didn't know from _where_. For the time being, he mentally labeled the kid 'Four-Eyes.'

"Eh, you know me. But what brings you out here, eh…?" He trailed off for a moment, having given up on trying to guess. The other kid paused for a moment, staring at him in disbelief.

"Naruto, I know you're bad with names and all, but this is getting ridiculous." Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "Tohno Shiki. _Try_ to remember it this time, eh?" Naruto's feeling of recognition didn't fade, but he didn't recognize the name. Might not even be his real name, either. Yeah, yeah, 'Tohno whatever'. You're staying 'Four-Eyes,' pal.

"As for what I'm doing, isn't it obvious? I'm making sure you're all right." Naruto dismissed that with a snort. "Seriously, Naruto. You really ought to be more careful. Tokyo's not like Konoha, after all." The shinobi started nodding in agreement, before what Four-Eyes had said registered.

The next second, Four-Eyes was pinned to the wall of a building by a powerful hand wrapped around his throat, staring into a pair of crimson eyes.

"_**What**_** did you just say?"** Amazingly, the fucker smiled. He _smiled_.

Naruto's other fist buried itself several inches into the wall right next to Four-Eyes' head.

"**What. Did. You. Say?"** The blond demon vessel repeated, biting off each word.

It was taking every ounce of self-control not to rip Four-Eyes limb from limb. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the fact that Four-Eyes had information that Naruto desperately needed.

"I said: 'Tokyo's not like Konoha, after all.'" The crazy smile stayed on the bastard's face.

"**And just what the hell would **_**you**_** know about it?"** Naruto snarled.

"I know far more than you imagine, little ninja." Naruto snorted dismissively.

"**Bull. You're just here to mess with my head. None of this is real." **Four-Eyes smile had grown into a full-blown grin by this time.

"Oh, this is all real. Just as real as Konoha was."

"**What the hell're you talking about?"** Crimson eyes narrowed as Naruto picked up on a key word **"And what the hell do you mean, '**_**was**_**'?"** Four-Eyes shrugged.

"Konoha was real, and Tokyo wasn't. Now its not, and Tokyo is."

"**ANSWER THE QUESTION!"** Naruto bellowed. Four-Eyes shrugged, utterly complacent.

"Which one? You asked two there just now, you know." Naruto's lip curled up, baring fangs. He knew he was being played with, he knew he shouldn't rise to the taunt, but his patience was worn too thin to care. He pulled his other hand out of the wall, uncurling the fist and letting Four-Eyes watch as his nails sharpened into claws.

"Do you really want to kill the only one who knows what's going on?" The boy inquired calmly, smile gone. At the reminder, Naruto's reason prevailed over his rage, and he stopped drawing on the Kyuubi's chakra. However, he kept Four-Eyes pinned to the wall.

"Alright." Naruto said. "So talk." Four-Eyes nodded slightly.

"You're in the middle of a war. A war between the _gods_ themselves. A battle royale amidst the Heavens." Four-Eyes' voice held a bitter tinge to it, but Naruto didn't care enough to notice.

He was too busy staring at the bastard like he had just said Orochimaru's favorite past-time was prancing around Otokagure in a frilly tutu, all the while chanting 'I love Konoha.'

Naruto paused just long enough to _**burn**_ that mental image from his mind, before turning his attention to the fucker.

"You gotta be…" Naruto started, disbelieving. But Four-Eyes looked like he meant it. Which, granted, didn't mean much to a ninja.

But the more he thought about it, the more Naruto found himself agreeing with what the lunatic was saying. Not because he was the type to believe stuff like that; there was just no other explanation.

What was it that Ero-sennin mentioned while they were training? Occam's Razorblade, or something.

'When all the probable answers have been eliminated, whatever remains – however improbable – is the correct answer.' …Something like that, at least. So Naruto had no choice but to believe it – at least somewhat.

But Naruto sure as hell wasn't going to admit it to this guy.

"Okay, let's say you're _not_ completely nuts. Lemme guess what you're gonna tell me – I gotta choose a side?" Four-Eyes shot him an amused glance, then looked down at the arm pinning him to the alley wall and then back to Naruto. The blond rolled his eyes, before setting the other down.

"Choose a side?" Four-Eyes repeated, brushing rubble from his uniform. "Hardly, boy. You'll be going against them all." Naruto's brow raised at that. That was …unexpected. And worrisome.

"Oh? Now, why would I be doing that?" He asked Four-Eyes. Personally, Naruto would prefer having a couple gods watching his back – especially if he was going up against _other_ gods. Going against them all just sounded like an elaborate suicide attempt.

"You'll do it because I'm telling you to." Naruto's brow dropped down from his forehead, furrowing into a deep scowl. _No one_ told him what to do.

"And just _why_ should I listen to _you_?" The other shrugged. Then he stopped his search for lint and stared at Naruto. The shinobi was suddenly struck by the impression that this kid was not at all what he seemed. His eyes were like Tsunade's – far too old for his face.

"Because you're _mine_, boy. You bear _my_ Mark upon your _soul_."

What?

"_What?!_"

"Oh, did I forget to introduce myself properly? I'm the _Shinigami_, boy."

*

-END Manifold-


	2. Walking Dead

"_**Morituri"**_

Chapter 2 – Walking Dead

*

He woke to screaming.

The noise rattled around his head like a bunch of marbles, sending streaks of pain down his spine. He felt a rush of irrational hatred towards whoever was wailing like that.

It was at that point that he realized the one screaming was him. Then the pain hit him.

It was like nothing he had ever felt before. Every nerve was alive and screaming. Every twitch, every breath sent agony wailing down into his central nervous system. He screamed and screamed and screamed until he could scream no more, and the pain continued.

The pain seemed to last forever. Then finally, it lifted enough for his screams to stop. Slowly, he managed to open his eyes. He saw a blue sky, and buildings that seemed to extend into infinity.

After another eternity, he was able to sit up. He tried to focus, but couldn't. The pain was too great.

He curled up into a ball, and screamed. He screamed a hoarse plea to someone, _anyone_ to just make it _stop._

But no one was listening.

*

Naruto didn't want to admit as much, but the silence was getting to him.

It had been ten minutes since this Four-Eyes character had approached him, declared that Naruto was part of some sort of cosmic war and that Four-Eyes himself was actually the _Shinigami_. Naruto personally was convinced that he'd finally found someone that outcrazied Orochimaru.

But then the lunatic had told Naruto that he'd take him somewhere that could give him more specific answers. Of course, Naruto would prefer to go somewhere that the crazy person wasn't, but as Four-Eyes was the only person who actually knew something about Konoha, he didn't have any choice in the matter.

And the bastard hadn't said a word since. At first he hadn't minded, as Naruto had no interest in talking to a lunatic. But as they kept walking, the silence began to irk him more and more. Which lead him to this point, where he was bored and looking for entertainment. That combination, as any veteran ANBU could tell you, was a recipe for disaster.

"Hey; small, scrawny, and quiet! We there yet?"

"No." Succinct, and to the point. Words that translated into 'boring as all hell' for Naruto.

"How about now?"

"No."

"…now?"

"No." Absolutely no change in tone, inflection, or any other big fancy words that mean, basically, that he talked like a damn robot. Naruto frowned, trying to think of another way to piss off the bastard.

"So…this whole war in heaven thingy. We going up against _all_ of them?" Now _that_ got a reaction. The 'Shinigami' slowed, looking back over his shoulder at the blond; which, granted, was _not_ the reaction he was hoping for – but better than nothing.

"…yes…" Four-Eyes answered slowly, clearly not sure where Naruto was going with that question.

"Well, I was just thinking, did that include the gods of love, 'n peace, an' cute lil' furry animals?" The Shinigami stared at him for a long second, before turning back around and continued walking at his normal pace.

"There is no such thing as the god of 'cute lil' furry animals.'" He answered over his shoulder. Naruto scoffed.

"Oh, pleeeease. Of course they've got one. Have you _seen_ the way women react around those things? There's no way in _hell_ that's normal." Naruto wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the Shinigami speed up a little. Naruto grinned.

The next five minutes were made up of Naruto thinking up the most insane things he could, and pestering the Shinigami about them. His personal favorite was whether someone could make crossbow bolts out of sausages. Four-Eyes had actually _stopped_, and asked him why the hell he would want something like that.

"…to use against the vegans." Naruto responded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The Shinigami's mouth opened, and then closed. Then he just turned and kept walking. It was about another three seconds until the deity had given in to his curiosity, and turned to him.

"And _why _would you use them against the vegans?"

"Because they're invading."

"And why are they invading?"

"Because we're making crossbow bolts out of sausages."

The Shinigami hadn't responded to any of his questions since then.

"So… how many woodch-" The Shinigami cut him off before he could finish.

"Be sure to watch your step." Naruto paused for a moment, thrown by the non sequitur. But the Shinigami didn't slow down, and turned into an ally.

"Hey! Wait up!" The blond raced around the corner and saw the Shinigami open a door and walk through it. Naruto rushed after him through the dark doorway before it closed, hoping to catch up. The first thing that ran through his mind was _'Where'd they put the floor?'_

Weightlessness hit him as his foot sailed through air rather than the ground, and Naruto found himself falling forward. He yelped and windmilled his arms, trying to recover his balance. His foot brushed something and he adhered to it with his chakra instinctively.

'_Holy shit…'_

Naruto was standing exactly ninety degrees from the ground.

On the goddamn _side_ of a building, with the ground of the ally a good forty feet below.

And Four-Eyes was on a ladder hanging directly below the door. Laughing at him. Naruto's eye twitched.

"Hey, fuck you!" He yelled at the other man. The blonde didn't really care if this guy was the 'Shinigami' or not. He could have fucking _died_, for Kami's sake. He hollered as much at Four-Eyes. However, the bastard blew him off, choosing instead to stare at Naruto's foot.

"Ah, so you can still mold your own chakra. Good. That'll make our job easier." Naruto blinked. What the hell was Four-Eyes talking about?

"_Oi!_ Listen to me when I'm talking to you, damnit!" The Shinigami rolled his eyes.

"If you're done with the theatrics, we need to keep moving." Naruto let out an outraged squawk.

"Theatrics? Did you not notice how I nearly _died_?!" The Shinigami started down the ladder once more, turning his attention away from Naruto.

"I'm the Shinigami, remember? Besides, I would have caught you." Naruto looked at the God of Death, taking in the thin arms, quick breaths, and overall appearance of frailty the 'deity' exuded.

"Well, color me relieved, then." Naruto muttered quietly. But apparently, not quietly enough as Four-Eyes paused, shooting an irritated look up at the blond. Then his fist lashed out, striking the brick wall. A moment later, the Shinigami hung there with rubble that was once part of the wall he just hit clenched in his fist.

"I thought a good ninja knew better than to judge a book by its cover?" The Shinigami smirked. Naruto stared back blankly. After a moment, the deity shook his head and started back down the ladder. Naruto grabbed onto the ladder and, releasing his hold on the wall, started climbing down himself.

"_A __**good**__ ninja never judges a book by its cover._" Naruto imitated quietly, beyond irritated. "Fucking crazy bastard. 'Oh, look at me! I can punch the shit outta a wall!' The hell that wall ever do to you, asshole?"

"I heard that." Came the flat response from below. Naruto rolled his eyes, but kept the rest of his monologue internal.

Then he paused, looking out at the _night_ sky, while he hung from the side of a _building_.

"Oi! How the hell'd we get here?" The Shinigami paused, and looked back up.

"You only thought to ask this _now_?" Naruto flushed.

"Hey! Near-death experience here! Little bit distracting!" He protested. "Now seriously, what the fuck's going on?" Four-Eyes stared at him for a moment.

"The gods tend to play fast and loose with what they're creating. They're an impatient lot, and settle for what they the fastest thing they can get in the shortest period of time, that will still hold up to their 'games.'" The Shinigami reached the ground, and moved to the end of the ally.

"Let's keep moving." He said as soon as Naruto's feet touched the ground. The two stepped out of the ally and onto the street. "There are places in this world where reality is… fractured." The deity continued. "However, as reality cannot – will not – sustain a tear in itself, it tries to find some way to heal itself." The two paused at an intersection and waited for the light.

A giant, clunking, bright red metal monstrosity came to a squealing stop right next to them, making Naruto jump a foot in the air. Then the blond stared as he noticed that the …thing was filled to the brim with green… things – green, people sized things, with huge jaws and large fangs. One stood up and stared at them.

"What da zog?" It croaked. "Humies?!" Then it leaned forward and smacked another that was up in front of the …_thing_. It started yelling something that Naruto couldn't even begin to make out. The other one yelled something back, before yanking a lever that sent the contraption forward again. Naruto stared, wide-eyed, before turning back to the Shinigami.

"What the hell was that?" The other 'boy' shrugged.

"Orks." He said simply.

"…oh."

"Think of reality as a sort of bubble." The Shinigami continued as if never interrupted. "Granted, it doesn't really work that way, but it gives a framework to work with." They crossed the street, and continued walking.

"Now, the tear can heal itself in two ways: either by healing itself over, or connecting to another tear elsewhere. The first is highly discouraged by the gods, as it mars the seeming 'perfection' of their work." Naruto frowned at the sarcasm lacing the 'Shinigami's' voice. Wasn't he supposed to _be _one of the gods?

"Therefore," Four-Eyes continued. "The tear seeks to connect to another tear; which causes things like the doorway we just walked through." Naruto nodded slowly. There was a lot the Shinigami didn't answer, but it did explain how they managed to go from an ally in daylight to the middle of a building in the middle of the night. Granted, that was assuming all this 'gods' bullshit was _true_, but Naruto really didn't have much else to go on. But, even then…

"And the …orks? Just what part of this fucked up 'reality' are they from?" The Shinigami flashed him a smile.

"Oh no, they're leftovers." Naruto came to a full stop.

"Leftovers from _what_?"

The only answer he got was a smile.

*

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and sighed, wishing for some sake and cursing the policy against drinking while working. She had just gotten out of the latest round of 'pin the blame' with the rest of the hospital staff, due to the 'disappearance' of Uzumaki Naruto.

_That_ was something no one should have to suffer through without the promise of sake at the end of it.

There was a knock at the door, and Tsunade found herself wishing she could just throw a punch _through_ the damn door, and send the asshole that dared bother her flying. The knock came again. Shaking her head at the strange thoughts that ran through her head at times, she stood up and walked to the door. She was greeted by the sight of a file right in front of her face.

"Here's the bloodwork you asked for, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune said. Tsunade blinked, before snatching the file from her assistant. She mumbled a thank-you as she walked back to her desk. Far too used to Tsunade's single-minded focus to be offended, Shizune simply bowed and returned to her own work.

When hearing that the boy was unconscious for no apparent reason, Tsunade had ordered for a sample of Uzumaki's blood to be tested. The results of the tests were in her hands right now.

And they made no sense whatsoever.

Tsunade slammed the file down in frustration, before storming off to the labs to give someone hell for lackadaisical work. Then she was going to run the damn tests herself.

*

It seemed that the Shinigami enjoyed playing 'Mr. Mysterious,' as the bastard refused to answer any more of Naruto's questions. In reply, Naruto decided to tell him to go do several things that were physically impossible. The two fell into silence again, weaving through crowds, holding all sorts of odd …things. They ranged from hulking brutes to tiny little critters, and everything else in between.

Most disturbingly, Naruto found that the more similar a creature was to a human, the stranger it was. A perfect example would be the green-haired woman that he had seen across the street. She seemed almost perfectly normal (and very attractive) to Naruto, at first. Except for the fact that she had bat-like wings emerging from both her lower back and her skull – and she was staring at him as if she wanted to _eat_ him.

The instant the Shinigami spotted the woman, he grabbed hold of the boy's elbow and with a hissed command of "Don't make eye-contact!" had rushed him past her. They had kept up that pace for a good five minutes.

Now, though, the Shinigami stepped out into the middle of the empty street. Naruto followed more slowly. He'd seen those … 'cars' (as the Shinigami called them) flying by, and was not interested in getting hit by one. His attention turned from the street, however, when he heard the sound of metal against concrete.

The Shinigami was lifting up a sewer cover.

"Oh, you gotta be shitting me." The Shinigami simply flashed another one of those damn smiles of his, and dropped through the sewer-hole. "Okay, so you're not shitting me. Bastard." He stared down into the hole, recognizing the same pitch-black darkness that the damn doorway opened up into. He stared down at it for a moment, wondering just where the hell he was going to come out _this_ time.

Naruto took a deep breath, trying to work up his nerve and brace himself for anything.

Unfortunately, that 'anything' didn't extend to the Ork's moving scrap-heap plowing through a building behind him, and skidding to a stop in the middle of the street.

Naruto found himself staring down the front of what he now realized was a giant battering ram. One of the green …orks stood up – Naruto recognized it as the same one that had been yelling the last time he'd seen these guys. It looked around, as if looking for something. Then it shrugged and pointed down at him, and screamed.

"HUMIE! GIT 'EM, BOYZ!"

"Oh, shit."

The contraption roared.

Naruto dove through the sewer-hole, just as the metal battering ram raced overhead. Then he had the curious feeling of gravity deciding to shift gears, as down became sideways. He fell flat on his face on wet stone. He groaned as the wind was knocked out of him.

He pulled himself to his feet, and looked around. He turned to the Shinigami, who was standing next to him.

"It's a sewer."

"Observant, aren't we?" He motioned for Naruto to follow. "C'mon, we're nearly there." He lead Naruto through a winding maze of tunnels, before coming to a stop at the mouth of a very wide tunnel. He flashed a smile at Naruto. "Almost there." The blond swore mentally. He was quickly learning to hate that smile.

The two of them stepped up to the tunnel, and walked into the darkness.

And continued walking. Naruto stayed on edge, anticipating a sudden fall at any moment. He was so focused that he barely noticed when they stepped out into the sun. He jerked as light stabbed his unsuspecting eyes, before staring accusingly at the other man, who just grinned and kept walking. Grumbling, Naruto followed.

They were walking along a snow-covered path up to a mountain. Naruto shivered from the sudden onslaught of déjà vu. Naruto pushed the dark thoughts from his mind, and focused simply on following the Shinigami. Soon they were half-way up the mountain, and Naruto was shivering for an entirely different reason.

"Almost there, huh?"

"What, you cold? Suck it up." Naruto rolled his eyes. The Shinigami clearly wasn't one of the more forgiving deities.

Soon, they had reached what seemed to be a hollowed out tunnel in the mountain wall. Naruto welcomed the shelter from the biting cold of the wind. The overcoat and pants he had swiped from the homeless guy were warm 'n all, but having more clothes than that tended to help.

A lot.

And he wasn't even going to start talking about his bare feet. Channeling chakra through them managed to keep them warm, but his suddenly severely limited chakra reserves had forced him to regulate how much he was channeling, keeping them _just_ above frost-bite levels.

He turned his mind from his woes as the two of them exited the tunnel and entered a city. Quickly gazing around, Naruto realized that the city had been constructed in the center of a dormant volcano. He noticed that the Shinigami had gotten ahead of him and raced over.

The Shinigami was approaching a house. Naruto had caught up with him as the immortal reached the steps and knocked. Moments later, someone answered the door.

A second later, Naruto mentally thanked the Shinigami for dragging him through that weird-ass place earlier, because he didn't jump and freak at the woman who answered the door.

His first impression was that she had a bear somewhere in her ancestry. She was ferocious looking, with sharp fangs, a somewhat stocky and clearly muscular body, and a thin layer of fur. But despite that, she was very much 'all woman,' as Ero-sennin would call it.

"'Ello, Lord." She greeted the Shinigami in a heavily (and strangely) accented voice, before turning to him. "Ah! Hyu must be Naruto." The boy nodded warily. "Come in." She said, stepping aside from the doorway and motioning them in. "Ve have been vaiting for some time now. Hy am Mama Gkika and…" She trailed off, before turning to the Shinigami. "Have hyu told him?"

"I was just about to." She nodded in understanding.

"Come vith us?" She asked Naruto, gesturing towards the back of the house. Naruto nodded, thinking that there really wasn't much choice. The three made their way through the house, before entering a wide, expansive room. One that Naruto was pretty sure was bigger than Gkika's entire house. Well, he would have been pretty sure, had he actually noticed.

Instead, he was too busy gaping at what he saw.

"Hello, Naruto." The Sandaime Hokage welcomed him from where he was sitting at the table in the center of the room. "It's good to see you again." Next to him, the Yondaime Hokage nodded a greeting.

"…what the fuck?"

*

Naruto sat back in his chair at the table, setting down the tea Gkika had provided him, trying to wrap his mind around everything that had happened so far.

"Okay, I give. How the fuck are you two alive?" The two former Hokages looked at each other. Then finally, Sarutobi cleared his throat, and began to explain.

"Well, you see, neither the Yondaime nor myself died of natural causes. Both of us contracted a service with the Shinigami, which cost us our souls. And as the body cannot live without the soul, we… died. Our souls were then the Shinigami's to keep." The old man gestured to the Shinigami. "And he has chosen to… bring us back." Naruto blinked in surprise.

"Wow. I actually understood you the first time." The old man rolled his eyes, before smiling wryly.

"Well, I had plenty of time to work out the exact phrasing this time, and properly dumb it down." Naruto scowled at the old Hokage.

"Oi!" Sarutobi simply smiled, giving the boy a challenging look. Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, yeah? Well, at least I can't put foreign dignitaries to sleep by chatting my wrinkly old ass off." Sarutobi snorted.

"That was once, and that man was older than _dirt_." Naruto paused mid-breath, and _stared_ at the old man. Not once had the Sandaime _ever_ said anything bad about any politician, as far as Naruto could recall.

"What?" Sarutobi asked, biting back a laugh. "I'm not Hokage any more. I don't have to play nice with those blood-suckers." Naruto's mouth opened, before shutting with a 'clack.' Then he cracked, and started laughing. He was wiping tears by the time he caught his breath.

"It's good to see you again, you old geezer." Sarutobi smiled, and started to speak. Whatever he was about to say was cut off as the Shinigami groaned and leaned forward in his chair.

"Yes, yes. This is a lovely reunion, I'm shedding tears at the beautifulness of it all; but can we get to the meat of this thing?" Naruto briefly wondered if the bastard was allergic to niceness, but nodded and leaned back in his seat.

"Yeah, we can. And we can start by one of you explaining just what the fuck is going on." Sarutobi nodded, and turned to the Shinigami (whom Naruto was beginning to begrudgingly accept was actually the real thing).

"How much did you tell him?" The deity shrugged.

"Not much. Just the big picture."

"Ah, so he doesn't …"

"No, I figured I'd let you tell him, as he tried to rip out my throat when I so much as _mentioned_ the place." Both Hokages turned and shot questioning looks at the boy in question, who grinned sheepishly. Though he noticed Gkika giving him a thumbs up from where she was sitting.

"…Very well." Naruto turned his attention back to the old man. Sarutobi sighed, before pulling out his pipe and lighting it. He took a deep drag, before leaning forward towards the genin. "The first thing you have to understand, Naruto, is that while Konoha was very much real, so is this place." Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, I've been picking up on that. So what, we just gotta go through some tear-thingabobs to get back, right?" The Sandaime shot the Shinigami a look.

"I may have also taken him through one of the other Brokenlands." The old man sighed quietly, which Naruto knew meant that he was irritated as fuck, but not going to say anything. Yet.

"I see. Well, Naruto, unfortunately it doesn't work like that. This place is as real as Konoha, but they cannot exist at the same time." Naruto frowned.

"Say what?"

"You see, Naruto…" The old man trailed off for a moment. "The gods destroyed the fabric of reality that made up Konoha, and replaced it with the one you are in now." Naruto felt a chill run down his spine.

Konoha was… gone?

"…why?" The old man sighed deeply, and seemed older than Naruto ever remembered him looking.

"Apparently, the gods once warred with themselves directly. But that proved far too destructive, so they agreed to never raise arms against another, and instead move their battle to another place, and let representatives of each god that wishes to take part carry on the fight for their patron god."

"Okay… why the hell've I never heard about this? And where the fuck does _**destroying Konoha**_ come into play?" Naruto asked. The old man held up his hand, asking for silence.

"I'm getting there. Once a winner was decided, the gods would tear apart the world, and construct a new one for whoever _else_ wanted to take part." Naruto sat up straight in his chair.

"_What?_"

"Indeed. But there's still more to this tale. They continued on like so for some time, fighting through the lens of the game rather than against each other directly. However, an anomaly began to develop as time went on. I believe you know it well." Naruto cocked an eyebrow at the old man, looking for some sort of clarification. Because he sure as fuck didn't know any 'anomaly.'

"The Kyuubi." The Yondaime answered Naruto's unasked question. The demon vessel's eyes widened.

"Yes, the Kyuubi." Sarutobi continued. "At first, they dismissed it as a minor threat, and let their champions challenge it instead. They believed that their Champions would be strong enough to handle the beast." He shook his head.

"They were wrong. Very wrong. It destroyed the Champions handily, and began growing in power. Soon, it was strong enough to rend and distort the very fabric that the gods had created." Naruto sat back in his chair, and looked down at his belly.

"…Is there anything that thing **doesn't** fuck up?" The others were silent. Naruto dismissed his thoughts, and looked back to the Old Man. "Alright, keep going." Sarutobi nodded.

"The Kyuubi was powerful enough that the gods themselves feared to face it. Eventually, it warped the fabric of reality to the point where it created the Elemental Countries." Naruto jerked.

"Wait, hold up. Do you mean to tell me that we've got the _Kyuubi_ to thank for creating Konoha – which it then proceeded to try to flatten?"

"In short; yes." Naruto sat back in his chair, numb. Then, after a moment, he let out a bark of bitter laughter.

"Huh. Go figure."

"Indeed. But back to the story. The Kyuubi managed to create the Elemental Countries just a few months before the attack on Konoha. Then one of the gods realized how to defeat the beast, and contacted a young promising Hokage whom had just taken office. The two proceeded to develop a plan, which they then enacted once the Kyuubi moved on Konoha, sealing the beast and ceasing its reign of terror."

"They waited fifteen years to ensure that the Kyuubi was truly caged, and then started the games once again. _This_." Sarutobi gestured around him, disgust dripping from his words.

"Okay, but how do I tie into all of this? Hell, how do you two tie into all of this?"

"You tie into it as, like I said before, you bear my Mark." The Shinigami answered this time. "You will be my champion in the upcoming war." Naruto's brows shot up to his hairline.

"Um, excuse me?"

"I was denied a place in this competition, out of the pettiness of my peers. They all feared what I had done in chaining the beast, and the power that I wielded." The Shinigami's eyes _glowed _with power. "The other gods were too soft, too weak to be able to face down the demon. Well, with the exception of one, but that lunatic would most likely destroy as much of the surrounding reality as the Kyuubi." The last part was muttered under his breath.

"So I decided to show them what true power was. You will be my champion, and with the aid of the former Hokages, you will defeat all of the other gods."

"Um… one question. Why the hell am I the one to take on these guys, rather than one of the Hokages? Cuz, you know, they're _hokages?_ The best ninja in the village?" The Shinigami smirked.

"I think you overestimate the level of those you will be facing. As for why you, and not one of them – they have never truly borne my Mark. They have given their souls to me, yes. But neither has lived while my Mark burns their flesh." His eyes seemed to bore into Naruto's.

"But you have. Therefore, _you_ are my Chosen. Not them." Then he shrugged. "Besides, having a resuscitated Champion is… 'cheating.'"

"But why should _I_ do it?" Naruto pressed. "I mean, sure, I 'bear your Mark.' But that doesn't mean I have to do _anything_ you say." The Shinigami's smile was back in full force.

"True. But there is an incentive. After all, why else would so many men choose to fight and die against one another?"

"There is a wish-granting mystical object which governs the game. And it gives one wish to the last Chosen standing. Is that enough incentive for you?" Naruto stared the deity in the eye, his mind racing. One wish.

'… _Could I wish for Konoha __**back**__?'_

"Are there any limitations on the wish?" The Shinigami shrugged.

"I'm afraid I don't know. It was never really a concern of mine." The demon vessel stared hard at the deity.

"Alright, I'm in."

"Good." The Shinigami stood, and all the others rose with him. "Oh yes, one more thing – you will need a weapon." The Shinigami reached inside his pocket, and pulled out a kunai. He then tossed it to Naruto.

"Wait, wait, wait. This is it? One single kunai?" He frowned. "What the hell do the others have?" The Shinigami made a show of trying to remember.

"Usually, a patron will grant his Chosen with a power of some kind."

"…And what've I got?"

"The ability to utilize chakra in a world where no one can?" Naruto blinked at that.

"One more time, now?" The Shinigami gave him a patronizing look.

"Come now. A god has been _summoned_ twice by chakra techniques. **Twice**. Even _I_ thought that impossible at first. Do you really thing any deity would be comfortable with that kind of power floating around?" Naruto nodded grudgingly.

"So… what? They got rid of chakra, or something?" The blonde froze. "…wouldn't that _kill_ everybody?"

"… No, they didn't 'get rid of it.' Chakra is deeply tied to life, after all. They removed the humans' ability to harness it." He smirked. "Well, except for one." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Okay, that sounds great and all, but I don't even have enough chakra for a _henge_, for crying out loud. How the hell am I supposed to 'utilize' it?" The Shinigami cocked his head almost playfully as he stared at his 'Chosen.'

"…so what else could I give you?" Naruto nearly palmed his face.

"_I_ don't know! I'm not the god, here!" The Shinigami paused, considering.

"Well, I suppose…"

The Shinigami trailed off, removing his jacket, and rolling up his right sleeve. Naruto – and everyone else – tensed slightly, not sure what the deity was up to.

"You already bear my sigil – though it doesn't function in the same method as the others will." The immortal started to explain, though it sounded more like he was talking to himself. He stared at his right arm, concentrating. Then, slowly, symbols and tattoos began to form and blossom on the skin.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Naruto saw both the Yondaime and the old man take a half-step back in fear. "One of your greatest strengths – the demon's power – stems from that."

"But…" The Shinigami trailed off as the tattoos stopped growing along his arm. Then, lightning fast, he lashed out with a punch at Naruto.

The fist connected before the ninja had even realized that the deity had taken a swing. Then, rather than striking Naruto's skull and sending the boy flying, the fist simply… sunk into his skull, up to the wrist.

Naruto gasped, and his eyes rolled up in his head. The other three shouted in protest, but the god ignored them. Then, slowly, inexoriably, the tattoos started to fade from his arm; starting from the elbow and moving down its length. It was almost like it was _flowing _into the boy's head. The fist slipped out with a wet slurp just as the tattoos on the Shinigami's wrist faded.

Naruto dropped to his knees, gasping, with absolutely no wound.

"…But I suppose that it would only be fitting that my Champion wield the power of Death." Naruto blinked, raising shaking hands to feel the unblemished skin on his forehead. "Does this satisfy you?" The boy turned slitted crimson eyes to his …'patron.'

"**What the hell did you do to me?"** He snarled out. Then he blinked. **"And what the hell're all those lines all over the place?"** The god smiled.

It wasn't a pleasant smile.

"There was once a foolish mortal who dared to intrude upon my realm. He had something I later termed the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Those 'lines' you mentioned portray the 'fated Death' of an object." He walked over to a cabinet sitting off to the side of the room. After inquiring to Gkika whether the cabinet was valuable, and receiving a reply in the negative, he turned back to Naruto.

"Do you see this line here?" He gestured to a thick black line that ran down the center of the furniture piece. The blond nodded hesitantly. The Shinigami's smile grew… strange. "Good." Then the immortal seized a butter knife from the table and… Naruto blinked as the cabinet collapsed on the floor, in two pieces.

"**Holy shit."** Naruto whispered. Similar hushed whispers came from the other three. The Shinigami paused, remembering something.

"Oh, you might want to stop doing that at some point soon. If I recall correctly, prolonged usage causes insanity." The shinobi's crimson eyes bugged out at that. Then he jerked.

"**Wait, how the hell do ya turn 'em off?"**

"Stop drawing on the Kyuubi's chakra." The Shinigami answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"…**oh."**

Naruto's eyes returned to their normal color, and he breathed a deep sigh of relief. Then he looked over at the kunai he still had clenched in his hand. Just one cut from this… He frowned. There was something written there…

"'Remembrance'?" He read the kanji out loud.

"Yes. I thought it symbolic to have you use the kunai that you made your first kill with." Naruto froze.

"You mean…"

"Yes. I do." The Shinigami turned to the others. "My time is running short. I must go, before I am missed." With that, he walked out of the room. Naruto slowly pulled himself off the floor.

"C'mon, sveethart." Gkika rumbled, moving over to him. "Hyu got a long day tomorrow. Hyu better get sum sleep. Hy show hyu hyur room." Naruto was willing to argue that he'd had a long day _today_, but he really didn't have the energy for it.

He simply nodded, followed Gkika to what would from now be his room. Naruto didn't even bother taking in the sight of his room. Rather, he went straight over to his bed, and collapsed into it.

He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

-END Walking Dead-


End file.
